$66 million spent on early work

In the meantime, significant gridlock around the tunnel will likely continue in both directions for years.

“We haven’t made any decision on what is the best way forward. We need to be open to any recommendations that are provided to government by the review,” Trevena told reporters.

The decision effectively ends the previous Liberal government’s plan just before construction on the bridge would have begun.

The cancellation brought derision from the Liberals, who say the project has been studied, debated and analyzed for years. There are links to more than 150 reports on the project’s website.

“I would hope they would speed up the process,” Delta South Liberal MLA Ian Paton said. “We were in the bridge replacement office this morning and there has to be a dozen binders five inches thick of documents and studies and engineering reports on why the bridge is the best answer.

“They could simply send the bridge review committee to study the 14,000 pages that have already been worked upon and come to the conclusion the bridge is the most sensible option.”

The province shortlisted three companies to bid on the main contract, and two of those companies submitted proposals. The deadline to pick a winner was Oct. 24. The two companies will now be compensated up to $2 million each for their aborted bids.

Taxpayers have spent $66 million on engineering and geotechnical work, public consultation, land procurement and site clearing, including preparations for the eventual widening of Highway 99.

“We’re not going back to square one, we’re going back to a thorough consultation with the community,” Trevena said.

The B.C. Liberal government announced the bridge in 2013, but faced immediate criticism for not consulting local mayors, some of whom thought the 10-lane project to replace four existing lanes was too big and would simply increase congestion in other parts of the Metro transportation network.

The mayors also had a different list of transportation priorities for which they wanted provincial money, including replacing the Pattullo Bridge, a subway along Vancouver’s Broadway corridor and rapid transit in Surrey.

“The previous (government) was entirely focused and stubborn about their approach to this situation,” Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said Wednesday. “So I’m very pleased that a group has said stop, we’re going to have a proper review of this situation, work with the various parties … and come up with a better solution.”

Richmond has advocated twinning the tunnel instead of building a bridge.

Delta Mayor Lois Jackson has been a strong supporter of the new bridge, arguing the existing tunnel is dangerous and responsible for traffic congestion. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Metro Vancouver board chair Greg Moore said he was happy with the decision to pause and review.

“It’s exactly what Metro Vancouver regional district called for,” he said. “We acknowledge there’s a traffic issue along that corridor and something needs to be done, but the scope of the 10-lane bridge was too big and they needed to work with local governments around the whole region, including Metro Vancouver, to find the appropriate solution.”

B.C. Hydro recently said it was calculating what it would cost to cancel its part in the multibilliondollar project, which includes moving transmission lines from inside the tunnel to a proposed overhead line near the new bridge. Hydro has spent $25 million to date.